Georgetown President John DeGioia on Rush Limbaugh: Misogynistic and vitriolic

by Justin Karp

In a statement, President DeGioia called Limbaugh's comments 'vitriolic.' (Photo: World Economic Forum/Wikimedia Commons)

Rush Limbaugh's comments about Georgetown University law student Sandra Fluke were called "misogynistic, vitriolic, and a misrepresentation of the position of our student" in a statement released by the school's president on Friday.

In a letter to the campus community, Georgetown President John DeGioia said that in the wake of the conservative talk show hosts comments about Fluke and contraception, a time had come to restore civility in communication and engagement.

"The values that hold us together as a people require nothing less than eternal vigilance," DeGioia said. "This is our moment to stand for the values of civility in our engagement with one another."

On his nationally syndicated radio show on Wednesday and Thursday, Limbaugh called Fluke a "slut" and a "prostitute" after testifying that Georgetown students were paying thousands of dollars out of pocket to cover contraception and birth control.

DeGioia did not take away from Limbaugh's right to speak his mind, but he did appeal for civility in his discourse.

We have learned through painful experience that we must respect one another and we acknowledge that the best way to confront our differences is through constructive public debate," he said.